Democratic lawmakers recently released a staged video telling America’s service members they “can” and “must” refuse illegal orders — a message that shouldn’t be treated as harmless civics class but as a political provocation aimed directly at the chain of command that keeps our military effective. These lawmakers leaned on their veteran credentials to give their message the veneer of authority, yet offered no specifics about what orders they think are unlawful. The stunt has predictably inflamed both the public and elected leaders who understand the catastrophic risk of encouraging mass insubordination.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t mince words when she told Fox News that you cannot have soldiers questioning orders in the heat of battle and defended the Pentagon’s decision to review the matter. Her blunt defense of the chain of command reflects a basic truth conservatives have been saying for years: discipline and obedience are not optional if you want an armed force that protects Americans and preserves order. The left’s reflex to politicize the military undercuts the very institutions that keep our cities and our nation safe.
The Department of War has opened an inquiry into Senator Mark Kelly’s role in the video, noting that Kelly — unlike some of the other participants — remains subject to military jurisdiction because of his prior service. That investigation is not about silencing veterans; it’s about whether using service credentials to encourage servicemembers to defy lawful orders crosses a line that could harm operational readiness. If you care about the troops, you don’t cheer on actions that risk turning the military into a political football.
President Trump’s furious response — calling the video “seditious behavior” and even retweeting calls for severe punishment — shocked some but captured the raw anger conservatives feel when elites appear to erode the institutions that defend our liberty. Whether you agree with the tone or not, the underlying outrage is real: Democrats repeatedly play games with institutions that must remain above partisan theatrics. The administration’s pushback is a predictable counterweight to a left that increasingly weaponizes every angle of civic life for political gain.
Legal scholars correctly note that service members already have the duty to disobey unlawful orders under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which makes the lawmakers’ broad, context-free demand redundant at best and reckless at worst. But nuance matters: reminding troops of legal obligations in the abstract is not the same as broadcasting a mass exhortation that could be interpreted as incitement during a crisis. Conservatives should acknowledge the legal principle while condemning the cynical timing and partisan theater behind this stunt.
The bigger story isn’t the clip itself but the pattern it reveals: Democrats who once claimed to revere the military now seem intent on eroding its cohesion when it suits their political ends. Using veterans’ faces to send a vague message of defiance is a betrayal of the very ethos of service — duty, honor, sacrifice — and a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who depend on a disciplined military for their safety. If the left wants to protect the Constitution, they should stop staging viral videos and start defending the institutions that make constitutional governance possible.
Patriots should demand clarity and courage from our leaders: be specific about alleged wrongdoing, stop weaponizing our service members for political theater, and respect the chain of command that keeps America safe. Our military should never be used as a prop in partisan messaging, and anyone who treats it like one should expect scrutiny, not applause. The hard truth is simple — if you love this country, you defend the institutions that protect it, not tear them down for a trending clip.
